Rebirth
by Dreamwind1
Summary: This story is about my character Dreamwind and how he became Talydras. It's R rated due to some graphic violence.
1. Chapter 1: Monster

Title: Rebirth (for lack of a better title)  
  
Note: This story is way AU. It's set in a version of Velgeth before the Mage Storms. It's kind of an introduction to my persona, Dreamwind. So, just be aware that things won't necessarily happen like they did in the books.  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
Today father told me that we would be passing through the Pelgries to cut time off of our travel. He said that while it might be dangerous it would be worth it if we could get to the Lord's keep before the eggs hatch. I don't think we should sell them to this Lord. How can we know that a Lord of a land none of us have heard of until the Emperor decided to conquer it, can be trusted to take care of such rare jewels ? (That's what Mum always calls the eggs. Her precious jewels, just like me.) Well, I think it'll be fun anyway. When we were at the last village a man told Father all these stories about the Peldries and the strange beings that live there. I can't wait! Maybe we'll get to see a Hawkbrother. Well...Mum's calling.  
  
Frey placed the small leather book back under his worn mattress and ran back to the front of the wagon. There he saw his Mum through the front window. She was a kind woman. Her beautiful crimson hair had only the barest of touches of gray along the temples. Her round face was always sporting a wide, friendly smile, which made her become a beauty the envy of many younger, and thinner, women. She was a good woman and for a five-year old boy like Frey, she was perfect. He couldn't wish for anyone better to be his Mum. His Mum turned then and smiled at him, waving him to her side.  
  
"Frey, dear, it's time for lunch. So will you go and fetch your Father." His Mum waved her meaty hand in the direction of the forest edge.  
  
"Yes, Mum." Frey ran off in the direction of the forest where his Father had gone hunting. His Father wouldn't have gone too deep into the forest. He had taken the man at the villages warning to heart and had taken great care for his Families, as well as his own safety. Frey continued to look around the forest, being as quiet as possible lest his Father was still hunting. As he got deeper into the forest Frey began to worry. His father had never gone this deep before and Frey began to feel sick. Something didn't feel right. Frey walked a little deeper into the forest, noticing how quiet all the animals had become. As Frey parted the bushes he noticed his Father leaning against a tree.  
  
"F. . . Father?"  
  
Pushing fully through the bushes Frey finally saw his Fathers face. His dark black eyes were open wide, pupils fully dilated. His mouth was open as if he was screaming and thick dark blood was left in smeared across his cheeks, as if it had been sprayed on and then rubbed in by someone's hand. His shirt had been ripped open and his intestines had been pulled out. His left arm looked as if it had been ripped off and the flesh eaten away, revealing more bone. Frey screamed and began running out of the forest. The image of his Father's disembodied corpse nailed to a tree flashing across his eyes with every beat of his heart. Frey ran faster, tripping over tree roots, bushes and rocks that found their way into his path. As Frey poured into the clearing he screamed for his Mum. He was still too far away. She would never hear him. As Frey got closer he froze. His Mum's body was lying in a pool of blood. The cooking fire smothered by the spilled soup. Standing over his mothers body was a creature out of legend, a creature of Frey's deepest nightmares. A totetsu. (1)  
  
The creature smiled at Frey, his face covered in the blood of Frey's family. Then it disappeared. Frey continued to stand as far away from the scene as he could. He didn't want to get any closer. He didn't want to see his Mum's dead body. Tears fell down his cheeks as Frey finally moved forward. After what seemed like forever he was at his Mum's side. Frey sat down in the bloody grass and tugged lightly at her arm.  
  
"Mum . . . Mum wake up. We have to go get Father." Frey sobbed. "Please, Mum. Please get up."  
  
Slowly her pale eyes opened. Turning she looked up at Frey and smiled. "Fr. . .Frey."  
  
"Mum, please, we have to go."  
  
His Mum reached her hand up and stroked Frey's cheek, leaving a trail of blood. "Frey, my beautiful boy."  
  
"Mum. . ."  
  
His Mum's eyes closed again. "I Lov. . . I love you. . . always . . . ." Slowly her hand dropped back down to the earth and Frey was left alone. There he remained as the blue sky became washed in blood as the sun gave way to the moon. He was rocking back and forth, his Mum's head resting in his lap when he heard it, the sound of two pairs of wings. Frey didn't even look up to the sky. If the winged ones had come for him then he would gladly join his Father and Mum in the summerlands. The sound of wings faded away and Frey suddenly felt truly alone. They had only come for his Father and Mum. Not for him.  
  
A stranger's voice, speaking in a language he didn't know, suddenly broke the quiet. Frey turned his head and looked into the darkness where the voice had come from. A man dressed in dark leather sat upon a stag of some sort. The sound of wings appeared again and Frey saw the two owls land on the top of his family's wagon. The man spoke again, his voice soft and calm. Slowly he dismounted his stag and walked to Frey's side. Frey looked up into the strange blue eyes. Frey's body swayed as he found himself lousing consciousness.  
  
Weee! Chapter 1 is done. I know I really shouldn't be starting another story since I already have so many that I'm working on, but I couldn't help myself. I have some more updates for my other works so I'll post them soon. I just have to do a little last minute nit-picking on them. Also if you can think up a better title, please suggest one.  
  
1. A totetsu is an ancient Chinese monster. It has the face of a man, a tiger's fangs, and the body and horns of a sheep. This monster was believed to eat humans. 


	2. chapter 2: A new Friend

Title: Rebirth (for lack of a better title)  
  
Chapter 2  
  
When Frey woke up he found himself in a strange room. It wasn't like any he had been in before. All the walls were made of a soft colored wood with elaborate feathered masks on them. A window opened out onto a view a tree branches as thick as his waist. Frey sat up pulling the blanket tighter around his body. Was this the summerland or the land of twilight? Had the totetsu eaten him too? Frey shivered. Images of his parents flitting before his eyes. Frey let out a strangled sob and a pair of strong warm arms wrapped around him. Frey struggled violently, trying to fight off whatever had a hold of him. He cursed and screamed, visions of the totetsu eating his Mum flaring.  
  
"Shhh. . . It's okay, little bird. I won't hurt you." The strong arms relaxed a little but continued to hold Frey pinned to the stranger's chest. "You are safe now. It's okay."  
  
"Wh . . .who are you? Please don't hurt me." Frey tried his hardest not to whimper but his voice wouldn't obey.  
  
"No one is going to hurt you." The strong arms released him and Frey pushed himself away from the stranger as fast as he could. When he was more than an arms length away he looked back at his captor. It was the same man who had come out of the darkness on the wings of owls. "It's okay. You are safe here. I am Steelsong. You are in my home."  
  
Steelsong? As Frey took a longer look at the stranger things began to fall in place in his young mind. Could this stranger be a hawkbrother? As if the man knew what he was thinking he finished introducing himself and explained that Frey was now inside of K'Treva vale. He had wanted to see Hawkbrothers, but not this way. Frey wanted to cry but knew his father wouldn't want him to look so weak in front of strangers. So he sucked up all his pain and buried it deep inside where he couldn't see or feel it. This Steelsong person was still watching him and Frey shivered. Was this one of those men Mum had always told him to stay away from?  
  
"Daddy! Is he awake yet?"  
  
Frey turned at the sound of a young voice. A little girl about his own age stood in the doorway. She was dressed in elaborate silk robes of pink and lavender, with embroidered flowers and birds all over them. It must have cost more than his Mum's wedding dress. Her hair was several shades of brown, patterned as blooming flowers. Steelsong chuckled, a deep rumbling sound. Frey turned to look back at the man.  
  
"He is, Littledove. But perhaps you should wait until he's cleaned, fed and well rested before you exhaust him with all your questions."  
  
The girl, Littledove, blushed and darted back out the doorway. Frey was becoming very confused. Too much had happened for him to process all of this so soon after. . . Frey found himself shivering again and Steelsong pulled him into another hug.  
  
"It's okay, Littlebird. Nothing here will hurt you."  
  
Frey kept his head buried in the man's chest as his heart hammered wildly in his chest. His world had shrunk again to the smell of blood and guts, fresh sap, and the sound of bird wings. He didn't want to remember again. It was too soon. He didn't want to see the totetsu's smiling face. Gradually the fear faded away and Frey found that he could breath again and the fear that had felt like a vise squeezing his heart was gone. Soon he had been fed and given clean cloths, which looked a little too much like the girls for his own comfort. He wouldn't bicker though. He should be greatful for whatever these strangers were willing to give him. He was after all in their home.  
  
"Will you come with me, Littlebird?"  
  
Frey bristled. "I'm Frey."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"My name is Frey, not Littlebird." Frey pushed his chest out as he had seen his Father do so many times before in situations like this. Steelsong only chuckled.  
  
"Then Frey it is. Now if you'll come with me our Elders wish to speak with you."  
  
Frey blinked. Why would elders wish to speak with him? He was only a child after all. Not even old enough to play with a toy bow. "Why?"  
  
Steelsong stopped and droped to his knee. He placed his hands on Frey shoulders and look him right in the eye. "We need to ask you some hard questions about what happened."  
  
Another shiver ran down Frey's spine as the fear squeezed at his heart again. "I . . I don't wanna."  
  
"I know, lad but if we can't hunt down what killed this more people could be hurt."  
  
Frey snaped his eyes up to Steelsong's again. The fear squeezed even harder. "More people would be hurt by you going after it! You'll die! He'll eat you all just like he did my Father!" Frey yanked his body out of Steelsong's grip and ran off into the bushes.  
  
"Shit." Steelsong jumped up ready to chase after the boy but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.  
  
"Let him go. He will be back when he has control of his heart. The pain is still too raw perhaps for the harsh questioning we would have to put him through. Let us wait a little longer."  
  
"But the creature that killed his parents. . . "  
  
"We would not be able to catch it tonight anyway, Steelsong. Waiting we change nothing."  
  
Steelsong sighed and slumped a bit. "If you are sure about this, Starfall." (1)  
  
"I am sure. Besides it would do us no good for him to break down into tears. I know I couldn't stand a child to run away from me crying."  
  
* * *  
  
Frey ran until he had to stop. His sides were burning now with cramps. Slowing to a walk he pushed aside a few more bushes and found himself in a small glade filled with richly scented flowers and fruit covered vines. Scanning the area he found it safely empty. Frey moved over to the fruit bushes and sat down. Their shade would do for a little shelter from any passing eyes. Frey soon found his eyes drifting shut again as the sweet smells slowly stole his fears away. How long he slept he wasn't sure. He hadn't even known what time of day it was when he had awoken in Steelsong's home.  
  
A hand shook him lightly and Frey woke to a pretty face inches away from his own. Frey nearly screamed. Instead he lurched back, right into the bushes and their waiting thorns. The stranger laughed and Frey found he suddenly wanted to punch this stupid stranger.  
  
"It's not funny! It's your fault!"  
  
Frey launched himself at the laughing stranger, knocking him to the ground. Quick as a cat Frey had the other boy pinned beneath him. The laughing had stopped and the boy was watching Frey with a funny smile on his face. Frey blushed a little as he took in the sight of the boy beneath him. He looked like a girl. How embarrassing. Frey crawled off the other boy and pouted. All these strangers looked so weird. What kind of people dressed their sons like little girls? Father would be soooo mad.  
  
"I'm Firesong."  
  
"Firesong? What kind of name is that?"  
  
"It's a good name." Firesong flung his long hair back over his shoulder like Frey had seen village women do when they saw his Father. "That's what I want to be called when I get older. But right now I'm just Firespark."  
  
Frey couldn't help laughing. Firespark looked so angry about what his name was. Of course it was a silly name for a boy.  
  
"Are you just going to laugh at me? Or are you going to tell me your name."  
  
Frey found himself trying to talk through a mouthful of hiccups. IT took a few minuets before he could answer in an understandable manner. "I'm Frey."  
  
"Frey. That's not a bad name. Of course it's not as good as Firesong." Firespark puffed up his chest, preening like a bird. This of course set Frey to laughing again. Frey got control of himself again and smiled. This boy could be a lot of fun. He was definitely nicer than Steelsong. The two boys stayed there in the bushes laughing and talking, never noticing Steelsong and Starfall watching them from the shadows of the trees.  
  
1. Starfall as in Firesong's Dad. Yeah, baby. I know he's supposed to be in K'Vala but this story is AU after all. Besides I couldn't remember Firesong's Mother's name. 


End file.
